Cushion heel



Patented Jan. 4, 19-2'L.MY

' PATENT OFFICE.

JOHNB. RADAWAY, or sWAM'PscOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, AssrGNOR To UNITED sIIOE MACHINERY CORPORATION. OF rATERsoN, NEW JERSEY, n CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CUSHION HEEL.

Application 'led April 27, 1922. Serial No. 556,895.

This invention .relates to cushion heels and, particularly, to heels made of rubber or other vulcanizable compositions.

One object of the invention is to pro-A duce a cushion heel which may be securely -attached by .machinery without the use of cement or other adhesive `and wil `form apermanently tight joint 7with the heel base or the heel seat of the shoe to which *1t Ais attached. i

Another object of the. invention is to eliminate the metal washers which are commonly used inrubber heels to prevent the heads of the. attaching nails from pulling through; and to produce a'heel which may be securely attached by ordinaryrubber heel nails without requiring any particular care with respect to accuracy in locating the points at whi-chthey are to `be' driven, while providing for separate attachment of a rubber heel and a heel base at a single nailing,

'n 'to the end that when the rubber heel becomes worn, it may -be replaced without disturbing the base. p, In one aspect of the inventionva heelis provided the main body portion'of which consists of rubber or other suitable .resilient cushioning material and having in its inner face an inserted member, portion or section of harder Vor rmer penetrable material such, for example, as canvas or other fabric, so formed as to provide an anchorage for theheadsofthe attaching nails which ser cure the rubber heel to the base and to pro-` vide spacefor othernails which may be driven simultaneously with the first-mentioned yset Ifor securing the base to the shoe independentlyof the attachment of the rubber heel.

The inserted section may advantageously .be formed `of a number of layers or plies of frictioned canvas which maybe united to each other and tothe body of the heel by vulcanization, becoming 'to all intents and purposes an integral part thereof. 4 An adv vantageous' feature ofthe invention consists in' associating with the canvas insert breast corner tensioning members which may conveniently take the form .of small, spring steel plates held between two of the layers of the laminated insert and extending well out into the breast corners of the heel. The inner face of the heel is preferabl concave at the edges and the attening o the heel under the attaching pressure will place the spring plates'under tension so they will excrt a permanent tendency'to hold the breast corners of the heel tightly against the base.

.A further advantageous feature of the in-p vention` resides in the provision of i-mproved means for facilitating the accurate location of the comparatively soft rubber heel section ,upon the substantially rigid' base. This may conveniently take the form of registering cavities molded at predeter- Lmined positions in the inner face of the rubber section, co-operating with corresponding protuberances projecting from thevouter face of the rigid heel base, whereby accurate registration of the two sections may be secured readily, even with unskilled labor. i

Other features and advantagesof the invention will be understood and appreciated `from reading the following detailed description ofI apractical embodiment thereofl in connection with theaccompanying drawin s, in which ig. l is a perspective view of a heel embodying the invention Awith a portion broken` away to reveal theinternal construction; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view on the'A plane 22 of Fig.- `attached to a shoe;` l l l Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the resilient corner tensioning members; Fig. 4'is a plan viewof/the inner face of 'the rubber heel; i y .Y

Fig. 5 shows a central, longitudinal sec- .tion of the attached heel, taken upon the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a`view similar to Fig. 4, showing a modification.'y

may beeither in the form of a half heel, as shown, or a whole heel Or merely a top lift. The inner face of the rubber heel is concave around the curved edge and flat in the middle While the tread face is`.convex around the curved edge. and, likewise, flat in the middle, the thickness of the heel being substantially uniform throughout. With a heel of this conformation the use of cement in attaching the heel to a shoe is' unnecessary inasmuch as the edges hug tightly against the base and produce a'close joint when the portion inside of the edges is drawn down and the heel held flat by the attaching nails.

1, )showing the heel 'A series of conical indentations 12s is f formed on the tread face of the heel-to indicate positions Awhere the nails may be driven although, as will appear `more fully hereinafter, it `is not imperative that the nails bedriven at these or any other predetermined points. y

vulcanized in, and flush with, the inner faee of the heel is an insert 14 consisting of three layers 1G, 18, 2() of relatively firm and strong, penetrable material, such as frictioned canvas, duck or thelke. .The contour ofthe insert 14 may be varied but I have found that the contours shown in Figs. 4 and 6 are highly satisfactory and have certain advantages. As illustrated in Fig. 4

' the insert 14 covers substantially the areavin 30, and

which it may be desired to insert the nails for attaching the rubber heel to the base and is notched or indented. as shown at 227 at several places in its periphery to provide for baselattaching nails which are not to pass through the insert. Twdhole's 24, are punched at predetermined places in the'insert and co-operate with corresponding plugs in the heel mold to locate the insert in an exactly predetermined position with respect 'to the heel.

A centra-l space ory opening 26 is also provided in the insert for the purpose of avoiding a common difficulty resulting from the distortion of afabric insert when it is attempted to vulcanize such insert in rubber. Under the heat and pressure of the vulcaniz-` ing mold the frictioned fabric displays considerable tendency to wrinkleand bunch up in the center but, by providing a space as shown at 26, this difficulty is overcome and the insert adjusts itself to present a@ smooth surface, continuous withthe remainder of theI inner face of the heel. In the inolding process the soft rubber of the heel lills the space 2G, aiding in effecting a firm, unbreakable union between the insert and the soft. rubber.

At each breast corner sioning or stitfening member in. the form of a thin metallic plate 28, made preferably of spring steel, is inserted between two olf the plies of fabric.. As herein illustrated the plate 28 isplaced between the pliesv16 and 18. The insertion of the plate 28, of course,

'occurs while the plies are being `assembled prior to 'their vulcanizatirm. The tensioning member 28 has 1n its forward end a notch near its other .end a hole 32, by means o'f which it may be exactly located upon at 34 and 36 respectively.

correspondingly spaced pins in the vulcanizing mold. the holes formed in the rubber heel by these pins being indicated 1n Fig. 2 y The forward end of the plate 28 is formed at an oblique angle, as shown, providing a projecting corner 38 which 'extends well out into the breast corner of the heel.

of the heel a ten-M Additional holes 40 in the plate 38, which 1n Fig. 2 are shown blank to avoid confusion, are actually filled by the rubber coating of the plies 1G, 18 -of the .ffrictioned fabric when the vulcanizing heat and pressure are applied. The tensioning` plates are thus securely fastened in predetermined positions in the heel. One of the holes 40, islsubstantially inline with one ofthe indentations 12,

shown at 44. are driven-through depressions 12 which aline with the two holes 36 and two similar holes 37 (see Fig. k4) all of which are located in thenotches 22 in the edge of the member 14, The nails 44 serve solely to attach the heel base 46 to the sole 48 of the shoe'and have no hold upon the rubber heel. When it is desired to remove the rubber heel after itis worn, and replace it with a new one the nails 44 and' the base 46 are thus left undisturbed. V Althoughone of the base attaching nails 44 passes through the hole 32 in the tensioning plate 28 this hole is materially larger than the head ofthe nail and These holes in the tensioning the presence of the plate therefore, does not what from the surface of the heel base 1 when :the rubber yheel ,is removed. llx perience has, however, demonstrated that this does not detract from the security ofthe lattachment of the base. Al,- ternatively, the heel attaching machine may be provided with drivers of different lengthsl so that the base attaching nails will be driven more deeply than the rubber heel' attaching nails and their heads seated in the upper surface of the heel base, as il" fully described and explained in my copending application, Serial No. 487,314 filed July 25, 1921.

-The bottoms of.J the depressions 12 are preferably imperforate and when the drivers 13 lan Leia,

are withdrawn after the nails are driven the soft'rubber heel 10 closes over the nail heads, as shown at 50, leaving a blind nailed heel.r

My improved heel has many striking advantages, 'among which' may be mentioned the important` factthat it is perfectly adapted tobe attached, either by single nailing or by double`nailing, with the ordinary heel attaching machine, and no cement nor adhesive of any description is required to securev a permanently tight joint 'between the edges of the rubber' heel and the base to which it is attached. 'A particularly g-zod joint issecured at the breast corners, where the greatest difficulty is experienced with ordinary rubber heels in securi-ng and maintaining close contact. Thernails draw down the originally concave, laminated fabricinsert 14 and hold -it flatupon the base section 46. The resilient tensioning members 28. which are secured between the plies of the fabric rare thus put in a state of tension and, inasmuch as they extend well forward intorthe breast corners of the heel, these corners are permanently pressed 'tightly against, the base and a cl'ose joint is assured.

There is an increasing tendency toward the use of rubber top lifts and rubber heel sec-` tionsfwhich are thinner than those formerly used. Under such-conditions the present invention isy particularly advantageous. The nail hlding `insert 14, being'located at the inner face of the rubber heel, permits the thickness of the rubber section to be reduced to a minimum, it not being necessary, as 1n to provide a substantial' thickness of the Y heel material between theV nail holding member and the inner face of the heel. Furthermore, the breast corner tensioning members hold the breast corners of the heel tightly against the baseregardless of the thickness Df the heel', a result in this respect being secured which is greatly superior toany rcsult which can possibly be otherwise obtained in securing a tight joint at the breast corners of'a thin rubber heel section.

1in the modification shown in Fig. G, the fabric insert 14 is inthe shape of a horsehoe and is punched with holes corresponding in position to the position of t-he holes 86, 37 in the heel shown in Fig.w 4. The insert is located in themold by the pins entering these holes, and the holes 25 in the heel which correspond tothe holes 24 in the heel of Fi g. 4 are formed merely in the soft rubber of the heel. Y 1 v The holes 24, or 25, in the rubber heel also serve the urpose of locating means for easily securing anexart location of the heelon the base, co-operating With corresponding projections 27 which may be molded or otherwise formed on the top lift of the base 'section in uniform, predetermined positions. The securing of accurate registration between in the insert.

the rubber heel and the base thus becomes a very simple matter, requiring no particular skill or care on the part of the heeling machine operator. v

Having described the invention, what' is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is 1. A rubber heel having a single inserted portion of 'material of sufficient strength to anchor attachingnails securely, said in.

serted portion` being smaller in area than the heel, terminating outside; of the nailing area at.both the breastand rear ends of the heel, and'being locatedin thepath of only part of the attaching nails.

"2. A rubber heel having an inserted portion of penetrable material smaller in area than the heel and of sulicient strength to anchor attaching nails securely, and having independent tensioning members at the breast corners to press said corners into firm contact with the surfacel` to which the heel is attached.

3.1A rubber heel having flush with its inner face an` inserted member of .material of sutlicient strength to anchor' attaching nails the paths of said attaching nails being within the general outline of said member and portions 0f said member in the path of a kselected number of the attaching nails being removed.

4. A'cushion heel having a penetrable I.

nail anchoring insert of firmer material than the heel body, and a separate tensloning Y v member secured to the insertfA l the case of a heel provlded with washers,

5. A cushion heel having a lpenetrable nail anchorin insert of firmer material than the heel bo y, anda tensioning member of dilferent material from the insert secured to the insert.

6. yA cushion heel'having a laminated nail anchoring insert, and a tensioning member located between the laminae of the insert.

,7. A cushion heel having a nail anchoring insert, and a s tifening member embedded 8. A rubber heel having vulcanized therein a. plurality of plies of fabric and a plurality of stilfening members vulcanized bctween the plies of the fabric.

9., A rubber heel having a nail anchoring insert embedded therein in the path of the attaching nails, the edge 'of said insert having notches in the path lof certain of the nails, whereby the latter will notv penetrate the insert'. c t

10. The combination of a rubber heel having a fabric insert Hush with its inner face, said insert having a plurality of holes located ill-accurately predetermined relation to its periphery with the aid of which holes the insert may be accurately located in a vulf l so entering the holes in the rubber heel and locating the latter accurately upon the base.

11. A. shoe having a heel comprising a rigid base and a cushion heel section attached thereto by nails, the cushion section having cavities in its inner face larger than the heads of the attaching nails 'n which thehead ends of certain of the ttaching nails are located.

12. A cushion heel having aV nail anchoring insert embedded therein, and a tension-l ing member between the insert andthe inner surface of the heel, whereby the attaching ing insert embedded therein and a tensioning member between at least a portion of the insert and the inner surface of the heel, the tensionlng member having a hole larger 'thanan attaching nail at the point where anattaching nail i-s to be driven and the insert being imperforate at said point. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to Jthis specification. i

A JOHN BL HADAVVAY. 

